Drive for earth boring tools



Nov. 21, 1961 J. c. FAILING 3,009,521

DRIVE FOR EARTH BORING TOOLS Filed July 8, 1958 s Sheets-Sheet 1 44 r 76z A 2 F T y 58 E 46 Fig. 1

9 9 INVENTOR.

9 JAY c. FAIL/N0 f j ,0

BY Fig 8 gQQL/Q/ M A T TORNE Y Nov. 21, 1961 J. c. FAlLING DRIVE FOREARTH BORING TOOLS 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 8, 1958 INVENTOR. JAY G.FAILING Fig. 2

ATTQRNE'Y Nov. 21, 1961 J. c. FAILING DRIVE FOR EARTH BORING TOOLS 3Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed July 8, 1958 INVENTOR. JAY C. FAILING ATTORNEYStates My invention relates to earth boring apparatus, and moreparticularly to a power drilling apparatus that is provided with a driveshaft, ordinarily referred to as a kelly, that is held against endwisemovement during its operation of rotating the drill. I

In conventional drilling apparatus for drilling well bores, or carryingout other earth boring operations, it is necessary, every time a jointof drill pipe is added to the drill stem, to raise the drive shaft orkelly from its lowered position, lower it into a supplemental hole,commonly referred to as a rat hole, add the joint of drill pipe, andagain remove the kelly from the rat hole and connect it with the upperend of the added joint of drill pipe. It is one of the importantpurposes of my invent1on to eliminate the use of such a rat hole and theraising and lowering of a drive shaft such as the above referred tokelly.

Also, in conventional drilling, it is necessary to raise the drill pipeup the length of the kelly or drive shaft each time that a joint ofdrill pipe is added. This is also avoided by my new and improvedapparatus. The drill bit being adjacent or on the bottom of the hole,when adding a joint of drill pipe, this accomplishes continuousdrilling. This is of considerable advantage, in that frequently inwithdrawing the drill upwardly the distance above referred to, cavingresults below the temporary location of the drill bit while a new jointof drill pipe is being added, which increases the difficulty ofproceeding with the drilling after the addition of such a length ofdrill pipe. By retaining the drill bit at or closely adjacent the lowestpoint reached in the drilling operation at the time a new joint of drillpipe is added, such caving is substantially entirely eliminated.

Other advantages of my invention are that the size of the hole drilledis not restricted to the inside diameter of a rotary table, ordinarilyused, as the rotary table is eliminated, and longer life of the driveshaft or kelly is obtained because of the fact that the kelly drive usedin my improved apparatus is not exposed to the drilling fluid or mudelements, such as sand, which cause undue abrasive Wear on theconventional kelly.

; In order to obtain the above advantages, it is a purpose of myinvention to provide means for rotating a drill pipe or stem, comprisinga drive shaft or kelly that is held against endwise movement, butwhichis rotated about its axis, and to provide rotary means, such as adrive sleeve, for connection with the drill pipe or stem, that has adriving connection interposed between it and the drive shaft or kelly,that includes a rotatable driving member, such as a gear, longitudinallyslidably mounted on the kelly or drive shaft for rotation therewith.Thus the assembly, which may be referred to as a drive head, comprisingthe drive means that is longitudinally movable along the kelly, providesgreat flexibility in the vertical location at which the lengths of drillpipe are added to the string or removed therefrom, as this can be doneanywhere along the length of travel of thetraveling driving means, whichlength of travel is substantially the length of the drive shaft orkelly.

, More specifically, my improved drilling apparatus com-v prises a mast,in which the kelly, mounted to extend longitudinally for rotation aboutits axis, is held against endwise movement relative thereto, and drivingmeans for connection with a drill pipe, comprising a drive sleeve withwhich a water swivel is removably connected and which is driven from thekelly or drive shaft by a driv- Patented Nov. 21, 1361 ing connectionthat includes a driving member, such as a gear, mounted on the kelly toslide longitudinally thereon, but which has a driving connectiontherewith so as' to rotate with the kelly, a transverse shaft and meanson the transverse shaft engaged by the driving member to rotate thesame, and furthermore, means on the transverse shaft for rotating thedrive sleeve, the driving connection including a mounting for the drivesleeve whereby it is adapted to swing about the axis of the transverseshaft so that said drive sleeve can be swung about said axis out of avertical position into any desired angu lar position or even ahorizontal position, for attachment of drill pipe thereto. With thewater swivel removed, the driving means for the drive sleeve can be usedas a spin out table when the string of pipe is being removed from thehole.

Other objects and advantages of my invention will appea-r as thedescription of the drawings proceeds. I desire to have it understood,however, that I do not intend to limit myself to the particular detailsshown or described, except as defined in the claims.

in the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of my improved drilling apparatus.

FIG. 2 is a section taken on the line 2-2 of FIG. 1, on an enlargedscale.

FIG. 3 is a similar view taken on the line 3-3 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged vertical sectional view through the drive head,taken on the line 44 of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary elevational view taken on the line 5--5 of FIG.1, on an enlarged scale.

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary section takenon the line 66 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary side elevation of the drilling apparatus,showing the parts in position for the spinning out or removal of asection of drill pipe. 7 7

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary elevational view, showing the position of theparts for the connection of drill pipe to the drive head.

:FIG. 9 is a fragmentary view, on a slightly enlarged scale, partly inplan and partly in section, taken on the line 99 of FIG. 8, and

FIG.. 10 is a fragmentary section taken on 1ll10 of FIG. 9.

Referring in detail to the drawings, my improved drilling apparatus isshown as being provided with a base 10, which may be mounted in fixedposition, but is preferably mounted on a truck, or similar means, for

the 7 line transportability. Upon the base 10 a framework in the f formof a mast 11 is provided. The drive shaft or kelly 12' extendslongitudinally of the mast 11 and is mounted for rotation aboutits axisand against movement longitudinally of its axis in a suitable manner.Any suitable means may be provided for rotating the shaft 12. In FIG. 2a shaft 13 is shown, which is driven in a suitable manner, and which isprovided with a bevel pinion 14 that meshes with the bevel gear 15,which is mounted in suitable hearings on an upstanding boss 16 on thebottom wall 17 of the base member 10. Ball bearing means 18 is shown asbeing mounted in a recess 19 in the boss 16 and between the wall of saidrecess and a downwardly extending hub 20 on the gear 15. 'Below the gear15, mounted in a socket 21 provided in' the base member 10, is a thrustbearing 22 of any suitable character, which is shown as being providedwith a tapered socket portion 23 in which the tapered end 24" of theshaft 12 is mounted. Said shaft 12 is provided with keys 25 that areseated in longitudinal grooves 26 in the shaft 12 and aligning grooves27 in the gear 15 to secure thegear 15 to the shaft 12 to rotatetherewith, A

While this-particular means for keying the gear to the 3 shaft is shownin the drawings, any other suitable means for securing the gear to theshaft 12 to rotate therewith may be provided.

The upper end of the shaft 12 is rotatably mounted in a bearing 28,which is mounted in any suitable manner upon the framework of the mast11. Mounted on the shaft 12 between the bearing 28 and the base member10 is a bevel gear 29. The bevel gear 29 is provided with a pair ofgrooves 39 in the hub portion thereof and keys 31 are mounted in thegrooves 30 and in the grooves 26 in the shaft 12. Any suitable means,such as the member 32, may be provided for retaining the keys 31 in thegrooves 39 between the members 32 and the inturned flange 33 on the gear29 to retain the key members 31 in proper assembled relation with thegear 29.

The gear 29 is mounted between suitable bearings 34 and 35 provided insockets in the housing portion 36. Thus the housing portion 36 serves asa mounting means for the gear 29. The housing portion 36 is providedwith spaced upper and lower wall portions 37 and 38 and with an end wallportion 39 which is provided with an inwardly directed boss 48, that isprovided with hearing means 41 for a shaft 42 upon which a bevel pinion43 is mounted that meshes with the bevel gear 29. The housing portion 36is provided with a pair of laterally extending arms 44, which areprovided at their outer ends with grooves 45, in which the rails 46 thatare mounted on the longitudinal members 47 of the mast are adapted toslidably engage, whereby the housing member 36 is mounted for suitableguided movement up and down longitudinally of the mast. Any suitableguiding means for the housing portion 36 may be provided, as long as theguiding means prevents any twisting motion of the housing member 36 withrespect to the mast.

The end wall 39 is provided with a circular wall portion 48, which isconcentric with the shaft :2, and suitable ball bearing means 49 aremounted on this circular wall portion 48, said bearing means comprisingan inner race portion which engages against the shoulder 50 on the endwall member 39 of the housing portion 36. The outer race portion of theball bearing means 49 is mounted inside a circular flange 51 provided onthe end wall 52 of a housing portion 53, which has a tubular bearingreceiving portion 54 that has the bearing means 55 therein for the shaft42. The bearing receiving portion 5-!- and the flange 51 are concentric,and thus the housing portion 53 is swivelly mounted on the housingportion 36 for rotation about the axis of'the shaft 42.

The shaft 42 has a bevel pinion 56 mounted thereon to rotate therewith,which meshes with a bevel gear 57 mounted in the housing portion 53. Thebottom wall 58 of the housing portion 53 is provided with suitablesocket means 59 for the ball bearing means 60, which is mounted in asuitable socket portion 61 in the hub portion 62 of the gear 57, and asimilar ball bearing means 63 is provided, mounted in a socket 64 in thehub portion 62, and a corresponding socket 65 in the depending flangeportion 66 of a depending tubular wall portion 67 in the housing portion53. The gear 57 is thus confined between the ball bearing members 68 and63 against any endwise movement within the housing 53.

It will accordingly be seen that as the shaft 12 is rotated the gear 29will be rotated, and through the drive shaft 42 and the bevel pinions 43and 56, the gear 57 will be rotated. The gear 29, it will be noted, isrotatable with the shaft 12, but slidable longitudinally thereon. Thehub 62 of gear 57 is provided with a central tapered opening 68 leadingfrom a top rectangular opening 69 in which the flanges 70 of slips 71having tapering outer walls engaging the tapering wall of opening 68 ofthe gear 57 are mounted. A drive sleeve 72 is fixed to rotate with theslips 71 by means of keys 73. Said drive sleeve 72 has a water swivel 74mounted thereon for relative rotation with respect to the drive sleeve72 by suitable means, such as the ball bearings 75. The drive sleeve 72is also provided with suitable coupling means 76 thereon, provided withthreaded means 77 for connection with suitable coupling means on a drillpipe, as will be described below, and a collar 133 may be secured tosaid drive sleeve by means of a set screw 134. The housing portion 53,it will be noted, has a compoundly curved wall portion 78 and thehousing portion 36 has a similarly compoundly curved wall portion 79.

Mounted on the base 10 in bearings 130 on a suitable support is a driveshaft 81, which is provided with clutch means 82 for connecting the samewith a shaft 83 mounted in bearings 131 on said support and extendingfrom r a bevel gear 84-, which meshes with the bevel gear 85 provided onthe shaft 86 driven by any suitable prime mover and having a bearing 132mounted on said support. The shaft 81 has a pair of sprockets 87thereon, over which the sprocket chains 88 operate, said sprocket chainsalso operating over sprockets 89 provided on stub shafts 91} mounted onthe base member 10. Said stub shafts 96 have sprockets 91 fixed thereonto rotate therewith, and a sprocket chain 92 extends over each of thesprockets 91. Said sprocket chains 92 each extend through an opening inone of the arms 44 on the housing member 36 and each has a couplingsleeve 93 connecting it with one end of a cable 94, the coupling sleeves93 engaging the top side of each of the arms 44 to limit downwardmovement of the cable and sprocket chains with respect to the arms 44.The cables 94 extend over the sheaves 95 mounted on the mast in asuitable manner and extend downwardly from the sheaves 95 and have theirother ends connected with the ends of the sprocket chains 9?. remotefrom the ends thereof that have the couplings 93 thereon, similarcouplings 96 being provided for connecting the sprocket chains 92 withthe cables 94 at said other ends thereof. The direction of rotation ofthe shafts 86 and 81 is such that the sprocket wheels 91 are rotated ina direction that the housing portion 36 will be fed downwardly by a pullof the chain 92 thereon whenever the clutch 82 is thrown in to rotatethe shaft 81 by means of the shaft 86 which is driven by any suitableprime mover.

The drill pipe is connected with the drive sleeve 72 by connecting thethreads on the threaded portion 77 of the coupling member 76 withthreads on a coupling 97 on a drill pipe 98. It is, of course, to beunderstood that a number of lengths of drill pipe 98 are coupledtogether in a similar manner to form a string of drill pipe thatconstitutes the drill stem of the apparatus, which has a suitable drillat the lower end thereof which is operating in the ground to boredownwardly therein. While it is not always necessary to provide powerfeeding means for the drill stem, it is necessary under conditions inwhich the weight of the collective lengths of drill pipe is insutficientto feed the drill bit through strata that may be encountered. When suchpower feeding means is necessary, the clutch 82 is thrown in and thehousing section 36 is pulled downwardly, causing the housing section 53to be pulled downwardly therewith and causing the drive sleeve 72 anddrill pipe connected therewith to move downwardly as desired. When suchdownward movement of the drill head comprising the housing portions 36and 53 and the parts carried thereby occurs, whether due to the powerfeeding means or to the weight of the connected series of drill pipethat form the drill stem, the gear 29 will slide downwardly on the shaft12, but will be constantly driven thereby to rotate the drive sleeve 72and the drill pipe and drill connected therewith.

The drilling fluid is supplied from any suitable source of supplythrough a flexible conduit 99, which is connected with the water swivel74. The drilling fluid will pass through the passages 100 and 101 in thewater swivel and drive sleeve, rmpectively, to the passage 102 in thecoupling means and from that to the passage inside the drill pipe.

When a length of drill pipe has been fed downwardly so that it reachesthe position shown in FIG. 8 for the same, with the coupling 97 on theend thereof adjacent the base 10 of my drilling apparatus, the drivesleeve 72 is disconnected therefrom, after suitable gripping means hasbeen engaged with the drill pipe, so as to prevent its dropping downinto the hole beyond reach. While the drill is ordinarily resting on thebottom of the hole that is being drilled, it depends on the formationwith which the drill is in engagement as to whether the weight of thedrill pipe exerted thereon might cause it to sink down further into theformation through which the drilling is being done, which might causethe drill pipe, at its upper end, to become inaccessible if it is notheld from further downward movement. Any suitable or well known meansfor holding such a string of drill pipe from moving downwardly in thehole may be provided. In the drawing the base member 10 is shown asbeing provided with a pair of removable plate-like members 103 thatclose an opening 104therein, and which, are cut away at 105 to provide acircular opening between the same, and are provided with handles 106 bymeans of which the plate-like members 103 can be removed and replaced.

Referring to FIGS. 9 and 10, a sleeve 107 is shown 'as' being mounted ina circular opening 105 in the platelike members 103. Said sleeve has aflange 108 thereon, which rests on top of the plate-like members 103,and slips 109 of a well known character are shown as being mounted onthe sleeve-like member 107, having handles 110 for manipulating thesame, and being provided with a flange 111 on each thereof, which seatin the rectangular recess in the sleeve 107. The slips are tapered, asshown in FIG. 10, and engage a tapering portion 112 of the bore of thesleeve 107, and have suitable gripping means on the inner side thereofthat engage with the drill pipe 98 in the usual manner. The holdingmeans for the drill pipe is put in position as shown in FIGS. 9 and 10and after this has been done the uncoupling of the drive sleeve 72 fromthe drill pipe takes place. I

After the drill pipe has been uncoupled from the drive-- sleeve, a newsection of drill pipe is added by proceeding as shown in FIG. 8. Withthe housing members 53 and 36 constituting the drill head near the basemember 10 the housing 53 andthe drive sleeve 74 along with this, areswung about the axis of the shaft 42 by the swivel connection betweenthe flange 51 and the corresponding circular portion of the housing 36and the cooperating bearing means 49, to a substantially horizontalposition, or to an inclined position approaching a horizontal positionas shown in FIG. 8. This makes it easy to screw the coupling 97 of thenext section of drill pipe 98' to be attached to the string, to thecoupling means on the drive sleeve 72. The clutch 82 is next moved to anuncoupling position so as to disconnect the shaft 81 from the shaft 86,which makes it possible to move the drill head comprising the housingportions 36 and 53 upward ly by suitable elevating means.

Preferably a bail 113 on the housing 53 for attachment of the elevatingmeans. Means for connection of the bail 113 may comprise a hook 114,which is mounted on a block 115, which is mounted on cables 116 thatoperate over a crown sheave 117 in the usual manner. In FIG. 7 the hook114 is shown as being attached to an elevator 118 that has gripping jaws119, that are in engagement with a drill pipe section 38" that is to beremoved from the next lower drill pipe section 98 during the operationofwithdrawing the drill pipe from the hole.

In order to break the joint between the drill pipe section 98 and thedrill pipe section 98 my improved new driving means for the drill stemis used as a spin-out table. In order to use the driving means in thismanner, the drill head is located near the'base member 10, as shown inFIG. 7, the water swivel is removed along with the drive sleeve 72 andthe slips 71, and slips similar to the slips 109 shown in FIG. 10 areinterposed between the drill pipe section 98 and the hub of the gear,

57. By applying a suitable wrench or tongs for holding the drill pipesection 98", and rotation ofthe driving means including the gear 57 bymeans of the drivev through the kelly 12, the gear 29, and the pinions 43.- and 56 on the shaft 42, the lower drill pipe section 98 is rotatedin the proper direction to unscrew the same from the upper drill pipesection 98".

provided, in the manner above described, until all the drill pipesections have been removed from the hole.

What is claim is:

1. Earth boring equipment comprising an elongated framework having apair of longitudinal frame members transversely spaced to provide anopening therebetween extending longitudinally of said framework, a driveshaft extending longitudinally of said framework within the same andheld against endwise movement, means for rotating said shaft, arotatable driving member longitudinally slidably engaged with said driveshaft for rotation therewith, a drill stem drive sleeve,v a drivingconnection between said driving member and said drive sleeve, a mountingfor said driving member, driving connection and drive sleeve mounted onsaid frame-:

work for guided movement longitudinally thereof and extending throughsaid opening in said framework, and means for moving said mountinglongitudinally of said framework comprising flexible pulling, members,said mounting comprising a mounting member for said drive memberconnected with said flexible members to move therewith, and a mountingmember for said drive sleeve connected to swivel freely about an axisextending per-l pendicularly to said drive shaft, said drive sleevebeing mounted externally of said framework in outwardly spaced relationto said frameworkand said flexible members to swing in a plane parallelto the axis of said drive shaft and said driving connection including atransverseshaft operatively connected with said driving member and saiddrive sleeve and extending axially of saidswivel connection.

2. Earth boring equipment comprising an elongated framework having apair of longitudinal frame members transversely spaced to provide anopening therebetween extending longitudinally of said framework, a driveshaft extending longitudinally of said framework within the same andheld against endwise movement, means for rotating said shaft, arotatable driving member longitudinally slidablyengaged with said driveshaft for rotation therewith, a drill stem drive sleeve, a drivingconnection between said driving member and said drive sleeve, a housingproviding a mounting for said driving member, driving connection anddrive sleeve mounted on said framework for guided movementlongitudinally thereof and extending through said opening in saidframework, and means for moving said housing longitudinally of saidframework comprising pulling mem-v perpendicularly to said drive shaftand mounting said drive sleeve, said drive sleeve being mountedexternally of said framework in outwardly spaced relation to saidframework and said flexible members to swing in a plane parallel to theaxis of said drive shaft and said driving connection including atransverse shaft operatively'connected with said driving member and saiddrive sleeve at Thereupon the drill: pipe section 98 can be elevated bythe means provided opposite ends thereof and extending axially of saidswivel connection.

3. Earth boring equipment comprising an elongated framework having apair of longitudinal frame members transversely spaced to provide anopening therebetweeen extending longitudinally of said framework, adrive shaft extending longitudinally of said framework within the sameand held against endwise movement, means for rotating said shaft, arotatable driving member longitudinally slidably engaged with said driveshaft for rotation therewith, a drill stem drive sleeve, a drivingconnection between said driving member and said drive sleeve, a housingproviding a mounting for said driving member; driving connection anddrive sleeve mounted on said framework for guided movementlongitudinally thereof and extending through said opening in saidframework, and means for moving said housing longitudinally of saidframework comprising pulling members, said housing comprising a portionmounting said driving member connected with said flexible members tomove therewith and extending through said opening and a portionconnected therewith externally of said framework to swivel freely aboutan axis extending perpendicularly to said drive shaft and mounting saiddrive sleeve for rotation about its axis and against axial movementrelative to said last mentioned housing portion, said drive sleeve beingmounted externally of said framework in outwardly spaced relation tosaid framework and said flexible members to swing in a plane parallel tothe axis of said drive shaft and said driving connection including atransverse shaft operatively connected with said driving member and saiddrive sleeve and extending axially of said swivel connection.

4. Earth boring equipment comprising an elongated framework having apair of longitudinal frame members transversely spaced to provide anopening therebetween extending longitudinally of said framework, a driveshaft extending longitudinally of said framework within the same andheld against endwise movement, means for rotating said shaft, a bevelgear longitudinally slidably engaged with said drive shaft for rotationtherewith, a drill stem drive sleeve, a driving connection between saiddriving member and said drive sleeve, a mounting for said bevel gear,driving connection and drive sleeve mounted on said framework for guidedmovement longitudinally thereof and extending through said opening insaid framework, and means for moving said mounting longitudinally ofsaid framework comprising flexible pulling members, said mountingcomprising a mounting member for said bevel gear connected with saidflexible members to move therewith, and a mounting member for said drivesleeve connected therewith externally of said framework to swivel freelyabout an axis extending perpendicularly to said drive shaft, said drivesleeve being mounted externally of said framework in outwardly spacedrelation to said framework and said flexible members to swing in a planeparallel to the axis of said drive shaft and said driving connectionincluding a transverse shaft extending axially of said swivelconnection, a bevel gear on one end of said transverse shaft meshingwith said bevel gear on said drive shaft, a bevel gear on said drivesleeve, and a bevel gear on the other end of said transverse shaftmeshing with said drive sleeve gear, said mounting member for said drivesleeve being provided with means for holding said drive sleeve and drivesleeve gear against movement axially of said,

sleeve relative to said mounting member.

5. Earth boring equipment comprising an elongated.

framework having a pair of longitudinal frame members transverselyspaced to provide an opening therebetween extending longitudinally ofsaid framework, a drive shaft extending longitudinally of said frameworkwithin the same and held against endwise movement, means for rotatingsaid shaft, a rotatable driving member longitudinally slidably engagedwith said drive shaft for rotation therewith, a drill stem drive sleeve,a driving con nection between said driving member and said drive sleeve,and a mounting for. said driving member, driving connection and drivesleeve mounted on said framework for guided movement longitudinallythereof and extending through said opening in said framework, said drivesleeve being mounted externally of said framework in spaced relation tosaid framework to swing freely in a plane parallel to the axis of saiddrive shaft.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

